THE view from a school desk can be many things, enlightening, terrifying, or even inspiring, but when your classroom is the open fell, that inspiration is easy.

Not all learning takes place in a classroom and many of the adult education colleges and training centres around South Lakeland and Furness take steps to prove it.

Sometimes those steps are literal, such as the outdoor courses offered by KTD training, of Stricklandgate, in Kendal, and by the lake at Ambleside.

The firm works alongside the Youth Hostel Association to offer both the Government-sponsored initiative Learndirect and "bespoke learning opportunities tailored to our unique environment".

The walking comes in the package of courses such as Photography, Image Manipulation and Navigation on the Lakeland Fells'.

This way, learners can get away to the tranquillity of the Lake District for a weekend, stay at a Youth Hostel and combine exercise and picturesque countryside to build their skills and knowledge.

A typical weekend course involves a morning spent learning the basics of map reading, with the afternoon practising new skills navigating the fells.

Learners use one of the digital cameras provided and then on Sunday join the imaging workshop to learn how to download and manipulate the images.

The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal offers a wealth of fascinating creative and artistic courses throughout the year, as well as workshops over the summer.

Dance, music, ceramics, and writing are all covered, from learning to playing traditional Lakeland music to making stained glass to composing short stories.

The courses run in the Brewery buildings, whether in the studios or garden, and some give the opportunity to visit Sizergh Castle, Levens Hall topiary gardens or Sprint Mill.

Over towards the Furness peninsula, Cartmel Community Education Centre offers another interesting range of courses that extend far beyond the blackboard.

There are classes for as little as £2.50 an hour in life drawing, baby dance and even French for toddlers, as well as more traditional classes such as Renaissance art and local history.

Organiser Jude Godden described the kinds of people who she felt could benefit most from a course: "It's the people you don't usually get, people with few qualifications, such as carers, adult males, or people who have been out of education for a long time."

She said free sports coaching courses were designed to encourage adult males to develop skills they could pass on to their children or others in the community.